Eric Yau

My name is Eric Yau. I am 34 years old and was born and raised in Canada. I hold a bachelor degree from University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. I majored in Accounting. I am a chartered professional accountant and I also hold a certificate in teaching English as a second language.

Before coming to Asia, I worked in Vancouver as an accountant for 6 years. After that, in 2011, I moved to Beijing where I taught business courses at a private college. And then after one academic year, 2012, I arrived in Hong Kong to start teaching English in a public school under the General Employment Scheme. That leads me to today where I have been working under the ASSG ever since 2015. I am qualified for the Scheme because my mother is a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card holder as my father is as well. I also have a university degree and I am fluent in English. I think the application process was amazingly simple as I only had to submit my documents online for it to be approved. It was very fast and I was pleasantly surprised that within a week of submitting the application that it was approved. The main benefit that I get from the ASSG is the flexibility that it offers. Before this school, I was working at Central at a finance start-up that was where I first used the ASSG and when I changed job from that job to this job, teaching at the public school, I was not required to fill up any extra paper work. So the flexibility was definitely very helpful. The other benefit is that I don’t require an employer to sponsor me under this visa.

As the working environment between Canada and Hong Kong is quite similar, I have not had much difficulty adjusting to the working environment here in Hong Kong. I get along with my students and my colleagues very well. I am able to communicate with my colleagues perfectly fine in English and many of them are of course English teachers. With my students, I can usually communicate with them, at least with simple communication, just fine. What I enjoy doing most in Hong Kong is playing sports. I like playing dodge ball, basketball, basically anything with the ball. And it is great in Hong Kong because of the weather I can play any of these sports 365 days a year. I will definitely recommend the ASSG visa to my friends and anyone who asks. I think it was a very efficient process from application to receiving the visa. And it is a great way of putting a step ahead of other candidates who may not have a work visa in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department has implemented the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents on 4 May 2015. Apart from normal immigration requirements, applicants under the scheme will have to meet the following criteria: aged between 18 and 40, be born overseas, have at least one parent who is the holder of a valid Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card at the time of application and was a Chinese national who had settled overseas at the time of the applicant’s birth. They must have a good education background, be proficient in written and spoken Chinese or English and have sufficient financial means.

Persons admitted under the scheme may apply to bring in their spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 to Hong Kong under the prevailing dependant policy. Persons admitted under the scheme may also apply for the right of abode in Hong Kong in accordance with the law after ordinarily residing in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 7 years.

Please contact the Hong Kong Immigration Department for enquiry on the Scheme.